HIGH POINT — A marble statue of Mary under her title as Mother of God now graces a new grotto on the campus of the Pennybyrn retirement community.
Dozens turned out for the June 21 blessing of the new feature located at the Penny Road entrance to the community. Father Steve Hoyt, Pennybyrn’s chaplain, presided over the blessing.
Situated atop a grassy knoll, the statue is made of the same Italian marble Michelangelo used to sculpt his Pietà and other famous works. Its carving took place in the town of Carrara in the Tuscany region of Italy with Mazzolini Art Craft Co. Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio.
Made possible by a generous donor, the natural stone grotto is intended to remind passersby of Our Lady’s constant presence.
“Even non-Catholics think it is magnificent. Indeed, the details are remarkable,” said Sister Lucy Hennessy, mission leader and chairperson of Pennybyrn’s board of directors. “Our order’s name is the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, and we wanted the people to know the place Mary has in the life of all of us.”
The grotto leaves a visible reminder of Pennybyrn’s founding religious order – the Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God – before the sisters depart for retirement next year to their motherhouse in England.
“We are most grateful to our donor who covered the cost of sculpting the statue and all the many pieces that go into making it all come together,” Sister Lucy said. “For the many good and great things that have happened down through the decades and into our time at Pennybyrn, we give God thanks and truly say with the Psalmist: ‘Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever!’” (Ps 107:1)
— Annie Ferguson
Say yes to a closer relationship with Jesus
Members of the Cursillo Movement gather at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte for a weekend retreat, called an Encounter, in 2023. (Photo Provided by Tita Wofford)CHARLOTTE — The noise, distraction and self-doubt many Christians experience in daily life can be major obstacles in growing one’s faith. Cursillo of Charlotte, part of a decades-long movement within the Catholic Church, invites men and women in the Diocese of Charlotte to take the first step to overcoming these roadblocks by joining a weekend Cursillo retreat this June.
The Men’s Retreat will be held June 6-9, and the Women’s Retreat runs June 27-30. Both will be held at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.
Tita Wofford, a parishioner of St. Pius X in Greensboro, went on her first Cursillo retreat in 2008 and has been involved ever since, leading retreats in the diocese for the past 10 years.
Before she joined the movement, she says, she never felt like she was making spiritual progress.
“We’re all trying to become saints, and I thought I was never going to be holy enough. I would start with devotions like the rosary and then I’d fall back into the things of life. I didn’t think I was going to be good enough, but then I went on the weekend and realized how much Christ loves me and how much He loves you,” she says.
“You can’t leave the weekend and not know how much Jesus loves you just the way you are, but He would like us to be closer to Him. When I walked away with that, I felt so empowered, and it just made a huge difference in how I approach things,” she adds.
Cursillo or “Cursillos de Cristiandad” (“Short courses in Christianity”) is an apostolic movement of the Catholic Church that was founded in Spain after World War II and has since spread worldwide. Cursillo stresses personal spiritual development, and members – called Cursillistas – strive to support each other in living out their Christian faith in their everyday lives.
Members participate in weekend retreats designed to help them grow closer to Christ, through talks, prayer fellowship, Mass and reconciliation. After the retreat, they meet weekly in “group reunions” to keep their spiritual progress going.
Warren Grasheim had recently converted to the Catholic faith when he went on his first weekend retreat. He credits RCIA with teaching him what Catholics believe and Cursillo with teaching him how to live out the faith.
“The Cursillo weekend was literally the highlight of my entire life and the hinge on which my life changed direction,” he says. “During the weekend, we heard talks on Catholic teachings, ate, discussed the talks with our new friends at our tables, ate, prayed together, laughed and ate again. But for me, the most important thing I came away with is that I can count on Christ to help me, whenever I call upon Him.”
Grasheim also notes everyone’s experience is different because the Holy Spirit, Whose presence is strong at the retreats, attends to each person according to their needs.
“I’ve been meeting with my Cursillo Group Reunion, a group of Catholic men, almost every week for 26 years now,” he adds. “We support each other on our journeys of faith, pray for each other, and laugh together. They have become my best friends.”
Wofford also says she is moved by the spiritual community Cursillo offers.
“You’re so Christ-focused, you’re in this community, and you’re not distracted by anything else – it’s all about love and prayer and caring for one another and serving one another,” she says.
“It’s almost like you were one of the apostles of Christ.”
— Annie Ferguson
Learn more and sign up
To obtain an application and connect with a Cursillo member to walk you through the process for attending the upcoming Men’s Retreat June 6-9 or Women’s Retreat June 27-30, visit www.charlottecursillo.com and click “Contact Lay Director.” The Catholic Conference Center is located at 1551 Trinity Lane in Hickory. For more information, inquire with your pastor, who will be able to direct you to a Cursillo parish ambassador.